Making Something from Nothing
by Daria234
Summary: Adelle and Priya friendship fic set in the Epitaph era with mentions of Tony and Echo. Adelle bada**ery, told from Priya's perspective in a "5 Things" format. Spoilers for the whole series.


Five Firsts

1. The first time Priya believed that they had a chance, it was because Adelle frowned.

It was the smallest of gestures - quite reserved, of course - but it told Priya that Adelle was angry. Determined.

Pissed.

And though she loved and trusted Tony and Echo, and she didn't yet have any inclination to trust the devious, brilliant, ruthless woman who ran the house that enslaved them, that little frown made Priya feel - made her know - that someone was going to pay, and that someone would probably be Adelle's enemies.

Tony's love, strong and warm, with roots deeper than she could remember. Echo's mind, in constant metamorphosis, always finding a way to survive. And Adelle' anger, gleaming like a tooth in the sun. These were her allies now. And though to some, this might not have seemed like much against a power so great, Priya believed at that moment - sitting with her hand tangled with Tony's fingers, seated next to Echo, and watching Adelle DeWitt frown - that against all odds, they would be the ones left standing.

2. The first baby gift Priya got wasn't a gift for the baby at all. While scavenging for tools, in those early days of chaos, Adelle had stared down at her belly for a moment, and Priya knew that it wouldn't be a secret for long - when Adelle sniffed around a truth, it got found out. Adelle didn't say anything. Didn't give her a lecture on the impossibility of it, the hardship that lay ahead for her. But the next morning, Priya woke up to find a tastefully wrapped box. Inside was a large jar of prenatal vitamins and a gun.

Wrapping paper wasn't that hard to find - there was a lot of colored paper left, and not much demand for it. But guns were hard to get these days, and for Adelle to give up her own weapon to make sure Priya would always be able to defend herself - it was almost too kind a gesture.

And Priya didn't even want to know what kinds of things Adelle had to do to get the vitamins.

When she went to thank Adelle, the response was a curt, "You're very welcome," and a clear indication that they would get back to work rather than dallying on matters of gratitude.

"You really are very English," Priya said, to which Adelle answered, with a smile, "Thank you."

3. The first time Priya needed to comfort Adelle was when Adelle decided that their little group would leave the refugee camp so they wouldn't have to keep sharing their supplies. It was dangerous to go off on their own, and it also meant leaving a lot of people in need with no leadership or resources. Adelle told the group that it was simply the most practical thing.

She didn't mention, but Priya knew, that others in the refugee camp were planning to sell them out soon enough.

On the night they snuck out, they were almost caught. Adelle stabbed a guard and led them out of there before anyone could see, and soon enough they were at another base camp a few miles out of town. That night, Priya sat next to Adelle, silent for a long time.

The day had worn on her, Priya could see.

Finally, Priya said, "You did what needed to be done."

Adelle sighed. "I always do..." she said, then turned to face Priya, her shoulders looking suddenly small and heavy, "You know, I never told you how sorry I am for what we did to you. At the Dollhouse."

Priya paused. "And I've never told you how grateful I am for your friendship."

Adelle stared at her, and for a second, it looked like Adelle wanted to crack, like she wished she could give up, and the thought terrified Priya. But then Adelle gave her a wry smile and said, "Well, if we're ever bored, we'll know what to talk about then."

Priya laughed, placed a warm hand on Adelle's shoulder. "Yes, we will."

4. The first time Priya tasted a slow-roasted carrot grown from their garden, they were all sitting at the table, eating their little orange bites, savoring the taste of the food that Adelle had managed to grow.

Clean food. Real food. The first food not wrapped in plastic or a can that any of them had had in years.

It had taken a ridiculous amount of knowledge - what the ancient Romans did during a drought, how organic chemists used to cheaply purify soil of pollutants - as well as labor and determination and a healthy dose of stubbornness. More than that, it had taken an unwillingness to accept what everyone knew - that there was no point growing food any more.

Adelle, more than anyone Priya knew, was capable of growing something out of nothing.

The carrot was soft but still with some firmness. It tasted sweet and fresh.

It tasted like earth. It was small, but it filled them up.

5. The first time Priya, Echo, and Tony emerged to find a rebuilt society, they knew where they should head.

Adelle. Who was not, apparently, at the palace.

Instead, she was a behind the scenes advisor, pushing the government ot implement democracy sooner rather than later. Thus, she was hard to find at first.

Echo, luckily, had a number of personalities that were good at finding people, and Priya deduced what she could from her knowledge of Adelle's habits.

In the end, though, it was Adelle who tracked them down.

A step inside their door in the middle of the night, and all three of them had their weapons out, ready to shoot until they saw who it was.

Unfazed, Adelle said, "I figured you would be looking for me. But it's safer that you stay away. I've made arrangements." She handed them documents for their new lives in a pleasantly casual manner. As usual.

Priya was first to hug her, then Tony and Echo.

"So, this functioning society thing?" Echo said, "I dig it. You have my compliments."

"I'm surprised," Adelle said archly, "In the past, you always found it quite unflattering."

They laughed, but not for long. Adelle sent them away, warning them of the dangers of being seen near the leading critic of the new monarchy.

Three weeks into their new, comfortable lives, Echo, Priya, and Tony were sitting at a dinner table, reminiscing about the past, and sharing what they had discovered about this new, exciting present.

"Hey, you know what I think?" Priya said all of a sudden, "I think Adelle needs a secret backup team."

"You really think she won't figure out it's us?" Tony smiled.

"Who cares? It won't be the first time we've antagonized her," Echo grinned, "And she always takes her sweet time before letting you know that she's really on your side. So we can do the same."

Tony laughed. "Okay. I'm in."

"Me too," Echo said.

"Great," Priya said, "Now all we need to do is find a way to support and protect DeWitt from her enemies without letting her know, and do this with very limited knowledge of our present civilization."

They stared at each other, then decided they would need another pot of coffee.

As it brewed, they thought about how nice it was to come back to a world that again had coffee.

To any kind of world, really. And they knew exactly who to thank, of course. They were just working on the how.


End file.
